GreenCast in UK and Ireland - AUTUMN RESCUE FOR ROUGH

One of the key aspects of successfully restoring or establishing wildflowers in areas of golf course rough is the removal of competitive coarse grasses that dominate thick, dense rough, according to Syngenta Technical Manager, Dr Simon Watson.

Autumn applications of the selective herbicide, Rescue, offer an ideal opportunity to clean up and thin out invasive grass species, such as Ryegrass, ready for Operation Pollinator habitat creation, he advised.

"Removal of the coarse grasses allows the more attractive fine fescue grasses to flourish, whilst also letting in the light for wildflowers to establish and grow - for the benefit of bumblebees and other pollinating insects," he said.

"Furthermore, thinning out the rough enables golfers to find balls from errant shots, which will reduce players' frustration and speed up play." 

Untreated	Rescue + cut and light scarify

Dr Watson advocated Recuse should be applied whilst the coarse grasses are actively growing, to aid uptake of the systemic herbicide. "Extensive research and user trials have shown high levels of kill can be achieved with well-timed autumn applications. The added advantage of autumn application is that the plants are naturally senescing, which limits the visual impact of treatments."

Rescue is approved for use at the rate of 1.0 l/ha in the autumn, with optimum results achieved using the Syngenta XC Foliar Nozzle to minimise the effect of undulations or variable vegetation height and to achieve all round coverage of the leaf; applying in a water volume of 250-300 l/ha. "Sprayer operators are reminded to set the nozzle height at 50cm above the target, which may be 15 to 20cm above the ground when spraying rough," he added.